Electrical-circuit protector.



C. A. ROLPE.

ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT PROTECTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 30, 1906,

1 86,723, Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. ROLFE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOLK; BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO FRANK B. COOK, C93 CHICAGO, ILLINGIQ ELECTRIGAL-CIRCUIT YER-OEFECTOR.

Specification of Letters Tatent.

r sented. Aug. or, 19123 I Application filed Hovcmber 30, 1505. serial No. 345,6?1.

0051? toil-0m it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. Bonus, a citizen of the United States, residing 'Chi cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in ElectricaLCircmt Protectors, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to protectors for pr tect'ing telephone telegraph and like circuits against unduly strong currents; and it relates in particular to a formoi selt-soldering protector illustrated. in Patent NoQStSZQlQ, granted to me September at, 190?.

u The principal object of the present involition is to simplify and cheapeuthe proteeter shown in the aforesaid application.

. lri'the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is verticalsectio'n' of a protector embodying 'my'present invention; F 1g. 2 1s a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is an end elcvation; Fig. 1 is the detail of construction.

The protector shown in the drawings, comp-rises a su port 1 which is conveniently in the form 0 a flat metallic plate preterably a nickel or bronze composition. This board or plate is sufliciently long'and high to accommodate and support a considerable number of protective devicesarranged in rows on opposite sides thereof. 1 have shown two protective devices 2, 2, one on each side of this board.

Each. protective device 2 is mounted-on two metal strips 3, 4, whereof the strip 3 supports the lower end, and the strip 4- the upper end of said protector. The strips are bolted to the board by means of bolts 5, G,

. and insulating material such hard rubber fiber 7,' 8 and 9 is arranged in connection withsaid strips to insulate them. from one another and from the board 1. The ends of both strips 3 and -1- are bent outwardly to substantially right angles at the board.

Each protective device consists of a tube or shell 11 of insulating material such as hard rubber. and containing a metal sleeve which fits removably in the shell 11. A plug 12 of insulating material is fitted tightly as by screwing into the lower end of the metal sleeve 10, and a metal spindle 13 is fitted in the plug 12.

A heat coil 1 1 is mounted uponthe spindle 13, and provided with a fork 15 carrying starsvheel 18 provided with solder 17 for automatically resoldering said star-wheel in position after operation. The upper end of the metal sleeve 10 is providccbwith a metal plug 18 having a shank 19 which extends up beyond the upper end of said. sleeve 10. l fithin the shank 19 is arranged a sliding tubular member 20 which has a prong 21 extending down and arranged to engage the teeth of the star wheel 10. A pair of graphite rings or disks 22 and 23 is arranged upon the shank 19 and held in position by a nut 24 on the end of the smile. The rin 22 is mounted. upon a collar 25 of insulating material such as hard rubber, and the ring directly upon the shank 19. A disk 26 of" insulating material is interposed between the rings 22 and 23. These two graphite rings 22 and 23 form' electrodes which are insulated from one another, and whereof the electrode 22 is also insulated from the cartridge forming the protector. A strip spring 2'? also mounted upon the support 1 as by a bolt 28 which also holds the upper end of the strip 41 in position. The

strip 27 is bolted againstv the board 1 so as to. be. in contact therewith, and has its upper end bent 'down and in Contact with the electrode 22, where- The operation. of the device is as follows: I

When an unduly strong current traverses to circuit, the coil 14L softens the solder 17 and allows the spring 28 to retract. the

plunger 20 and thereby open the circuit. At

the same time the end of the plunger strikes the strip 29 and thereby grounds the circuit and closes a local circuit to give an alarm. After operation the solder 17 hardens, thereby automatically resoldering the protector in condition for another operation, Whereupon the plunger 20 is pushed in to cause enga einent of the prong 21 with the wheel 16ft srehy resetting the protector. Should cuit-opening mechanism, and l a projection at one end and a pai annular lightning arrester electrodes, ing apertures titted over said projeeti d a nut at the outer end of the projectiri r holding the electrodes in position, 0' .f the electrodes being in contact with 1 projection, and the other being insula therefrom, and also from the first-mention d electrode.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a lightning arrester comprising a pair of carbon electrodes with a suitable dielectric interposed therebetween, an electrothermal device associated with the said arrester, said lightning arrester having a hole theret-hrough, and a contact member extending from the electrothermal device through the lightning arrester, saidcontactmember being utilized to control a circuit upon the operation of the said device.

8. An electrothermal protector of the character described comprising a heating element, a sleeve inelosing the heating element and in which the latter is operable upon excessive heating, a terminal extending from the heating element, and means on the said terminal adapted to be actedrupon to operate the heating element in the said sleeve to reset the'pretector for operation when same is properly heated.

4:. The combination of a board; a line strip arranged lengthwise of said board; a

' heat cartridge held firmly in a vertical position at its lower end by said strip; a second strip arranged lengthwise of said board, said second strip having one of its ends projecting from said board and having an open slot in said end; a plunger projecting from the upper end of said cartridge and passing through said slot; a resilient ground contact mounted upon the top of said board and projecting therefrom immediately above said plunger; means for forcing said plunger upward upon the operation of said cartridge; and a local circuit electrode mounted on said board directly over said ground contact.

5 The combination of a board; a pair of line strips arranged lengthwise of said board oneach side thereof; a heat cartridge supported by the upper ends of each of said pairs of strips; a plunger projectin from the upper end of each of said cartri ges; a resilient ground contact member extending noseg'iaa outwardly on both sides thereof immedh ately over said member; and means for forcing said plunger upwardly when said cartridge is operated.

6. The combination of a lightning arrester and a heat cartridge, said arrester comprising a pair of carbon electrodes, said electrodes having holes therethrough; a contact-producin member extending from within the cartri ge through said holes, said member being utilized to close a circuit when said heat cart-rid e is operated.

7 In apparatus oi scribed, a ground plate, a metal strip mounted thereon, a lightning arrester comprising two carbon rings, one of which is electrically connected with the ground plate, a thermally-operated device held in close proximity to the lightning arrester, and means for operating the thermally-operable device upon excessive heating, and a pin project ing from the said thermallybperable device through the electrodes of the lightning-arrester to engage said metal strip when the thermally operable device is operated, for purposes substantially as described.

8. The combination of a lightning arrester and a circuit breaker, said arrester comprising a pair of electrodes insulated from each other and having holes therethrough; said breaker having a neck extending through said holes a contact-producing member extendin from within the cartridge through sald neck and being in contact therewith; one of said electrodes being in contact with said neck, said member being adapted to close a circuit upon the oper-- ation of a circuit-breaker.

9. A circuit-breaker comprising a casing of insulating material; circuit-opening mechanism contained in said casing; a neck projecting from one end of said breaker; and a pair of lightning-arrester electrodes fitted over said neck, said electrodes being insulated from each other, one of said electrodes being in contact with said neck; and means at the outer end of said neck for clamping the electrodes to said breaker.

10. A circuit-breaker comprising a casing of insulating material; circuit-opening mechanism contained in said casing; a neck projecting from one end of said breaker;

the character de and a pair of lightning-arrester electrodes fitted over said neck, said electrodes being insulated from each other; one of said electrodes being in contact with said neck;'

means at the outer end of said neck for clamping the electrodes to said breaker; a contact-producin member extending from within said brea er through said neckand erial, a pin extending from the said can ridge through said flange and neck in the ightning arrester, and means for operating he heat cartridge within the said cylindrishaped member upon excessive heat- 12. The combination of a lightning arrester and a heat cartridge, said arreste comprising a pair of annular carbon rings insulated from each other; a contact-producing; member extending from within the cartridge through said ring, said meml'icr being utilized to close a circuit upon the operation of the heat cartridge.

13. The combination of a lightning arrester and a heat cartridge, said arrestcr comprising a pair of annular carbon rings; a contact-producing member extending from within the cartridge through said rings, said rings being insulated from each other, and one or" said rings being connected with said member, said member being normallyconnected with the terminals or said cartridge, and said member being utilized to close a circuit upon the operation of the heat cartridge.

14:. In an appa'atus of the character described, a ground plate; a metal strip mounted upon said plate, a lightning arrester comprising two annular carbon electrodes, one of said electrodes being connected with said plate, a circuit-breaker a880- ciated with said arrester and a plunger projccting from said breaker through said electrodes and adapted to engage said metal strip to close a circuit when said circuitbreaker is operated.

15. An electric heat cartridge carrying annular carbon lightning-arrester electrodes. line strips for the cartridge, and a ground one of said electrodes, a portion. of said on idge pas ng through the opening icr clan ode and electrically conthe said other clectrode to oncof c strip combination with a conducting support of a pair of line strips secured to but insulated from said support, heat cartridge mounted in said line strips and having one of its terminals projecting through a pair of carbon electrodes, said electrodes being insulated from each other, and one of said electrodes being insulated from said cartridge, and a grouiidf strip secu ed to said support and connected with. said insulated electrode,

17, An electricv heat cartridge comprising a cylindrical body containing a circuitopening mechanism and having one of its ends provided with a terminal passing through a lightning-arrester, said arrestfer comprising two annular carbon electrodes, said electrodes being insulated from each other, and one of said electrodes being insulated from said terminal, a strip con: nected to said terminal, a ground strip connected to said insulated electrode, and a line strip connected to the other terminal of said cartridge.

18. in an apparatus of the character described, a ground plate, metal strips insulated from each other mounted upon the upper edge of said plate, one of said strips electrically connected to said plate, a circult-breaker mounted on said plate, a neck extending upward troni said breaker, a lightning arrester comprising two carbon rings insulated from each other, said rings encircling said neck, one of said rings being in contact with said neck, and a' plunger extending from said circuit-breaker through said neck and in contact therewith, said plunger being normally in contact with the terminals of said breaker and being adapted to close the circuit when said circuit-breaker is operated. p

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 9th day of November A. D, 1906,

CHARLES A. ROLFE. it nesses A. M I warn B ELFIELD,

I. O. Lin-1. 

